"... we have 1.4 million people employed by our national health service. It is the third biggest employer in the world after the Red Army in China and the India National Railways -- most of those 1.4 million people are administrators. The managers outnumber the doctors and nurses and that is the electoral block that makes it almost impossible to get rid of. So if you do this thing ... don't imagine that you can come back in a few years and change your minds."

Hannan's points might be more relevant, if the US were considering a move to a single payer system or a nationalised system like the UK or Canada.

Except of course the US is not.

Apple, meet orange.

re: #2 iceweasel

Good point. But I don't believe that this congress will come up with a whole new plan that will be better than fixing the problems we have with our current system.

Congress will botch it and botch it big time.

And it's clear with what Obama has said in the past, what Pelosi has said and what Barney Frank said on July 27th that a single payer plan is what the democratic leadership ultimately wants.

But maybe you believe Obama in this clip. I don't.

re: #3 HelloDare

Good point. But I don't believe that this congress will come up with a whole new plan that will be better than fixing the problems we have with our current system.

Congress will botch it and botch it big time.

And it's clear with what in the past, what Pelosi has said and what Barney Frank said on July 27th that a single payer plan is what the democratic leadership ultimately wants.

Well, they're stating that they believe a single payer plan is what would ultimately be best. (I agree with that, actually). But importantly, none of the proposals are for single payer, and in truth there is far too much resistance on both sides of the aisle to single payer. Both sides are behold to insurance companies and their campaign contributions.

As to your first point though, about the infinite capacity of Congress to fuck things up-- that I surely can't disagree with. We'll have to see what bowdlerised version of health care reform makes its way through congress. I can't really have an opinion on it til its in some final form. Let's say that I'm cautiously optimistic, because I think we really do need reform...but have to see what they cough up.